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"Work with anyone long enough and you’re bound to encounter a difference of opinion," writes Ron Friedman in an article in the November 2016 edition of the Harvard Business Review. "But if you're like most people, every now and then you find yourself immersed in a conversation so emotionally charged it seems to have nothing to do with the issue you’re supposedly discussing."

To diffuse difficult discussions, Friedman recommends using a technique represented by the acronym PEARLS:

Partnership ('I bet we can figure this out together.')

Empathy ('I can hear your concern.')

Acknowledgment ('You clearly put a lot of work into this.')

Respect ('I've always appreciated your creativity.')

Legitimation ('This would be hard for anyone.')

Support ('I'd like to help you with this.')

"The key," Friedman notes, "is to employ them sparingly at first and to say only the ones that genuinely reflect how you feel."

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